Pioneer-Endicott stories sought for book on St. Paul buildings

Redevelopers of the historic Pioneer-Endicott buildings in downtown St. Paul, along with the Minnesota Museum of American Art, are seeking stories about the 19th-century office buildings for a forthcoming book that will raise money for the museum.

The book will be written by Larry Millett, a local writer and historian known for his books on Twin Cities architecture, and is slated for publication in mid-2014.

The art museum will have a permanent home in the Pioneer building, which was St. Paul’s first skyscraper when it was built in 1889 for the Pioneer Press. The two Endicott buildings were designed by Cass Gilbert and built in 1890.

Rich Pakonen of PAK Properties and Clint Blaiser of the HBG Group bought the buildings in 2011 and are restoring them to house 234 apartments. Construction will be finished next year.

People interested in sharing their stories about the buildings should contact Laura Dreischmeier of the museum at laurad@mmaa.org, or call 651-797-4168.

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